The White Fox
by Gwennivere Black
Summary: hey this is my very first book and i thought i would publish it. so sorry if it is a little raw. it is a story about a girl who lives in a place called mitten. her name is Clara, Clara's life has always been utterly boring and normal. until she is forced to take a journey to blood river when her parents and hers farm failed after a terrible drought. everything will change.
1. Chapter 1: Questions

Chapter 1:

Question's

Clara never knew her life was one big secret. She lived on a farm with her father Robert and her mother Jennifer they lived in a beautiful little blue house it the countryside in cork county. Cork county was the poorest county in mitten, but Clara and her family some how always seemed to pull through a tough spot. they had about five acres of fields in which they grow wheat, corn, and soybeans, but this season the fields were dry as a bone. It had not rained in five months. The only few crops that survived was some small ears of corn that would only last a week. Winter was coming and they need to stalk up on food and supply's if they are to survive the winter. Clara was always a curious girl well at age fifteen that was expected. Clara had bright green eyes the color of a crisp summer grass, her hair was pitch black and pin straight. She had never really thought about it but her mother Jennifer had gentle blue eyes and blonde almost white hair and her father Robert had the same eyes and hair as her mother, and until a few days ago Clara fully started to wonder where did she get the black hair and green eyes. So one night at supper Clara asked her parents where she had gotten her green eyes and black hair. Clara's mothers emotions and feeling were easy to read, and Clara could tell that her mother was uneasy, and nervous. So, when Jennifer glanced at Robert, and Robert looked at her like saying no. Clara said,"OK, what is going on? Mom just answer my question!"

Jennifer replied,"sorry, sweetheart it's just you get your hair and eyes from your great grandmother. We don't like talking about her."

Just the way Jennifer spoke told Clara she was lying, but Clara played it off like she believed her mother and said,"well thank you for actually answering my question."The rest of supper was utterly silent.

When dinner was finished and cleaned up Clara proposed that she would be taking a trip to blood river so that she can fish and hunt for salmon, bear, and beaver. so, that they would have supplies for winter. It would be easy because Robert had taught Clara everything about hunting and fishing and the best seasons, it was also salmon's best season and beaver season, so it was just perfect.

At first Jennifer insisted that Robert go to blood river instead of Clara. Clara's mother was frightened that Clara would get hurt, but Robert had plans of his own. He was planning to go to town and work at the plasma mines, so that they could use the money for even more supply's for winter so Clara would have to be the one to go to blood river. Robert was completely confident that Clara would be fine, but his wife was obviously not the most keen about the idea.

Clara argued with her mother for hours, and still lost, by the end of the argument Jennifer had put her foot down and said "me and your father will talk about this and will give you an answer in the morning, now go to you room and go to bed!"

Then Clara played her last card, and screamed as she stormed up the stairs,"I hate you mom! I hate you more that I have ever hated anyone ever before! I'm going to blood river whether you like it or not, with or without supply's." at that Clara ran to her room, and slammed her door shut. Clara then crashed down on the bed and instantly fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Dream

That night Clara dreamed of witches, warlocks, and a strange man who kept whispering in her ear,"come to me, come to me my child, come to me, come, come. Clara screamed,"where are you? How can I find you?" then before he answered her he whisper in her ear one more time,"come to me." then just disappeared. then the dream changed... Clara was standing next to a small river, blood river, and the strange man was there to, only across the river, and again he was beckoning her to come to him, and Clara waded into the water and paddled towards him as hard as she could but she did not seem to be moving and she look forward at the man and he had a wicked smile on his face and raised his hand and brought it down swiftly and yelled,"descendit."Clara was then ripped down under the torrent by an invisible hand as her lungs screamed for air Clara could hear the man laughing, Clara had heard that laugh before but where she could not remember. clara's eyes flew open and she sat straight up in bed, she was wet, but not just wet she was soaked. like she had just taken a nap in the middle of a lake which scared her even more than she already was. Clara head was spinning. she needed some air she decided,that's when she fully notice that light was streaming in the room through her circular window to her left, and she noticed a bag and note on the floor saying,

"_Here is an early sixteenth birthday present, I talked your mother into letting you go to the river, but you have promise you have to be back by your birthday, or you are in big trouble, I packed you some supplies in here. When you wake up come down stairs, eat some breakfast. Then me and you will pack the wagon." _

Clara's heart swelled with love, then as soon as it was there it was gone and in its place was guilt. Clara remembered the terrible things she had said to her mother, the night before, Clara dredged down the stairs, and looked for her parents. Neither of them were in the house, but Clara's breakfast was on the table, Clara ate very slowly so that she could prevent the inevitable, she would have to apologize to Jennifer for her outburst. Clara hated being wrong, but all teenagers did.

Within twenty minutes Clara had finished her breakfast, and was ready to leave for the quest. She took a breath slowly and, pushed the front door open, and walked to the barn. Clara quickly found her father, loading the wagon up with the only food left from the harvest, and other supplies.

Clara walked over to her father and said," Dad, I can hunt I don't need this food keep it here for you and mother, I also know how to gather so I will have plenty of food."

"I know but your mother insists," replied Robert,"I will go put this food in the house, then we can finish packing your supplies." With that Robert turns on his heels and walked to the house with the bundle of food in hand.

Clara busied herself with checking what supplies her father had already placed in the wagon, trying to forget what she had said last night to her mother, and being grateful that Robert had not brought it up. Even though Clara could practically see it re-lived in her fathers eyes.

Robert returned with a box of matches, and an empty canteen for water. Robert taught Clara at age six how to purify water by boiling it and letting it cool. Clara figured that she would be able to make it to the river, by morning the next day, that would leave her four days to fish then the fifth day in the late afternoon Clara would have to leave in order to make it back home before her birthday. her birthday would be the day the next day after she got back.

When, Clara was completely packed and ready to go she asked Robert,"Where is mother I what to apologize for what I said last night and say good-bye considering I won't see her for almost a week practically."

Mom, went to the market to sign me up for the mines, I won't be here for your birthday, so I will say it now," Robert replies,"happy birthday!" Then he kisses Clara on the forehead, and says," be very careful and don't get in to trouble."

With that they said their goodbyes and Clara hopped on the horse, and yelled,"yeh" to the horse named kipper. kipper started to gallop towards the path, that would lead Clara to the forest that the best spot to fish in the blood river ran through.


End file.
